The New Reader
by Ale of Dreams
Summary: No Pairing This is a short one shot where Kurama teaches Hiei what reading is really about. He gives Hiei a book that's Actual Literature and Hiei finds out exactly why the fox both appreciates humans, and reads constantly.


I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

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Kurama sighed as he lay back in his bed. His long red hair was fanned out behind him and his legs were propped up on the small twin sized mattress. He lay relaxed against the head board with a soft smile on his face and his hands clasped loosely about a small paper bound book. Thanking his good eye sight he let out a soft chuckle as his emerald eyes scanned the pages. He hadn't been able to sit back and enjoy a good book in a while and he had really missed it because it had been his favorite pass time when his mother was away. She was at work now with her new husband and Shuichi -the other one- was outside. The window was open so Kurama could listen to the laughing and playing of his little sibling, but that wasn't on his mind. Kurama had gone to the library with the two little kids earlier that day. It was summer now. His room was warm, cozy with the white walls reflecting the bright light as if to let Kurama read. The plants on his desk seemed to stretch and yawn as a warm breeze played through the open window. His room was quiet, aside from the laughing children and the occasional turning of pages, but Kurama was completely engrossed in his literature.

It didn't take long for the scene to be interrupted. A black form stood tall against the bright light letting his small shadow cast down upon the wood floor. His eyes lay over the fox. He wasn't in his normal outfit but a pair of jeans and a loose button up shirt that was stiffly tucked into his pants. "Fox, what are you doing?" Hiei asked. He crossed his arms, annoyed with the creature who seemed so relaxed in his room. It had been a while sense they had seen each other but Hiei knew the fox had sensed him earlier, so he had expected Kurama to at least acknowledge his presence. Instead, the fox had lain back upon his bed and now stared at the book in his hands.

"I'm reading Hiei," Kurama replied slowly. He was still focusing on reading instead of the ally who had come to visit him so readily. "You should try it some time." Kurama turned the page. The soft summer breeze no longer reached him at the bed and the air of the room seemed to still. The small black form took a few steps towards the bed as if to pull Kurama's book away from him. The fox clung protectively to his book and hid it behind his body. "No, this isn't mine." Kurama stated, he slipped a piece of paper from the front to where he was and closed the text setting it on his bed.

It was an old beaten book, the cover bent and torn. The image on said cover was well warn as if it had been rubbed by hands as rough as sand paper. The binding along the edge was bent, the same white cracks of age showing through and tape had been used to hold on the once ripped over. Along the bottom of the front there was a barcode, also taped on, and the side had a little green sticker. Long lost, the title of the book only appeared above the bar code and the years of use had not forgotten to pray upon it.

"Why would you read such a ratty book?" Hiei asked as he examined the title. He couldn't make it out through black gunk that had accumulated from the stickers and tape upon the barcode. He reached for the book to open it and find the title, but a hand pushed his away, the fox was definitely protective of the copy. Hiei's red eyes rose from the book now and locked upon the green orbs that told him so strictly 'No'. He crossed his arms and huffed angrily at the fox but did not oppose his order.

"It's titled _The Great Gatsby_. Somehow I doubt you would like it before you read some other works of humans Hiei. Here, let me get you a book and I want you to read it from cover to cover twice, then return it and tell me what you thought, okay?" Kurama rose from his bed, the book safe in it's small dome from the curious black form. Kurama, on the other hand, went to a shelf and pulled out a red hard cover book, "Here."

Hiei snatched the book from Kurama examining it. He looked at the title and glanced up at the fox curiously, "What if I don't know all the words?" Hiei asked, remembering he was somewhat new to the written language.

Kurama gave him a gentle smile and tapped his own skull, "Look them up. If you don't understand something and you want me to explain it I can always tell you Hiei." As if that was a dismissal, Kurama crawled back into bed, laying against the head board once more and picking up his book. He opened it, again, and placed it on his lap continuing to read where he had left off.

Hiei, on the other hand, did not find it as dismissing as the fox. He looked around the room, somewhat miffed that Kurama would dismiss him, and placed himself up on Kurama's chair. Opening the book, for lack of anything better to do, Hiei began to read. What he found was not what he expected. He frowned upon the first line of the novel and glanced at Kurama wondering what type of book he had been given. The books that he knew of were nothing like this one and now he understood a part of the fascination.

All too soon, the children came in from playing and Kurama was forced to leave the room. He shut the door behind him wondering if Hiei would just remain there, reading, all night. The sun was beginning to set painting his room with reds and yellows of all shades as the white washed walls played tricks with the sun. Kurama cooked the two children dinner and ate with them contently before going back upstairs. He approached his door cautiously noticing a light on and could only imagine Hiei had flipped the switch. He pulled open the door to find Hiei was sitting on the window sill, still reading.

Chuckling, Kurama walked over to the little black form and gently touched his shoulder. No harsh reaction was delivered, just curious red eyes gazing up at him. "Do you see the string on the book?"

Hiei lifted the string mentioned and fingered it lightly. It was attached to the spine of the book and he couldn't figure out what it was for. "Yes, why is it there?" Hiei questioned. It was obvious the fox was going to tell him anyway, but he wanted to know.

"Well it's to mark your place." Kurama went to his bed and retrieved his own book holding it to show Hiei a slip of paper that was in his own place, "It's called a book mark. You place it between the pages and shut the book so that you can continue about your way," Kurama informed him.

Hiei blinked and slid the bookmark of his own book down across the page, "But it's just a string. It could break off."

Kurama laughed lightly and smiled at Hiei's innocent thoughts. "No Hiei, it won't break off. It's between the pages and that is a hard cover book. It's stronger then paper back books which is why I'm letting you read it instead of one of my paper backs. You don't have to stick around to read. You can read wherever you wish. Personally, I like reading here because I'm generally undisturbed and I can hear the street through my window. I have a feeling you would like reading out in the forest or somewhere quiet where nothing will attack you."

Hiei nodded and shut the book with the bookmark in place. "But I can't read at night without a light," Hiei remarked blandly.

Kurama smiled and went to his desk. He fished around in it for a while and came out with a small wire with a light on the end. On the other side was a large clip which seemed to hold it up, "This is a portable light that will allow you to read at night."

"How does it work?" Hiei asked as he took it from the foxes hands investigating it.

Kurama smiled and took the book even though Hiei was hard to part from it. He demonstrated clipping it onto the hard cover, turning it on, and turning it off, "It runs on batteries so if you need more, just come by and ask."

Hiei nodded and took the little light, vanishing from the room.

Kurama sighed and turned his back on the open window, he didn't know it at the time, but he had gotten the poor unsuspecting demon stuck on reading. As he headed back to his own literature, he lay back and smiled lightly, he knew that Hiei would enjoy the book, but he had no idea how much.

As months passed, Hiei became an adamant reader. He would often steal into Kurama's room at night and rouse the fox for batteries or a new book. The foxes collection was dwindling quickly and he found he needed something to keep the little demon entertained.

Sitting at his desk, Kurama began to formulate a plan. He smiled lightly as he thought of a way to get the little demon out of reading so he could have his own peace of mind. Going to his shelves, he pulled out a commercial literature book his mother had forced him to read. She had been trying to make him date at the time and it seemed useless even to him. Now, he thanked her for the book as he set it on his desk, curled up in bed, and fell asleep.

As if a clock had struck midnight and the magic hour had summoned him, Hiei appeared at Kurama's window. He slid it open and came into the room gently shaking the fox awake. Kurama, use to this by now looked up tired. "It's on the desk, but I must warn you, it's not the same as the others, this one is the other style which humans tend to prefer. Only read it once through and then return it."

Hiei picked up the book and immediately frowned, the cover was unused and upon it was a picture of the last thing he wanted to see, "Fox, I don't want to read this."

Kurama sighed and pushed himself up gazing at the small demon. He smiled and shook his head. "Then go to the library and get your own books. I'm running out. You want the Literature section," the fox explained.

Hiei blinked and dropped his head, "Don't I need a card for that?"

"It's in my desk, find it yourself I'm tired."

Kurama smiled as he fell deeply back asleep.


End file.
